US2651040A - Bathing suit - Google Patents

Description

Patented Sept. 8, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Z Claims.

This invention relates to ladies and girls bathing suits, and more patricularly to such bathing suits of the tight-fitting type, usually made from woven material having rubber threads and adapted to stretch to t the body snugly.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide ladies and girls bathing suits which will uplift, correct and properly support the bust, will do so while the wearer is swimming or bathing, as well as otherwise stretching the upper portion of the body and which notwithstanding movement of the arms and upper portion of the body of the wearer including stretching of the upper portion of the body, as takes place during swimming, will still cover and properly support the bust.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof.

In accordance with this invention the upper portion of the bathing suit, i. e., the portion above the waistline, is constructed to provide two spaced breast-receiving cups or pockets, at least the lower portions of these cups being made of oneway stretch fabric capable of stretching in a vertical direction. If desired, these cups may be made in their entirety of such one-way stretch fabric. A panel also made of a one-way stretch fabric stretchable in a vertical direction is positioned below these cups. This panel is joined to the cups by seams which permit relative movement between the cups and this panel. With this construction the upper portion of the bathing suit containing the breast-receiving cups can stretch in a vertical direction.

The breast-receiving cups uplift, correct and properly support the bust and continue to do so notwithstanding stretching of the body of the wearer while swimming or for other reasons. This is the case because the breast-receiving cups can stretch relative to the connecting panel and relative to the side portions of the suit to which they are attached.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this speciiication and showing, for purposes of exempliflcaticn, a preferred form of this invention without limiting the claimed invention to such illustrative instance,

Figure l is a front perspective View of the bathing suit embodying this invention, portions thereof being broken away to show the interior construction of the suit;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary back perspective View of the bathing suit of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken in a plane passing through line 3--3 on Figure 1; and

Figure ll is a plan View of the upper and lower panels of each breast-receiving cup in non-assembled condition.

In the drawing Il) indicates the body portion of a bathing suit provided with panty or leg portions il having a crotch l2. The lower portion of the suit may be of any well known construction. For example, it may comprise two panels i3 and ll of one-way stretch material stretchable transversely secured together by a seam i5 at the base of the back of the suit. The upper portion of these two panels may be provided with a Zipper I6 or other fastener. At the front of the suit panels I3 and I are sewn to an intermediate underlying panel Il to which the crotch i2 is fastened and which extends from the bottom of the suit to waistline E3. A decorative overlying panel i9, which may be pleated as indicated at 2@ transversely of its length extends the full length of the suit. Desirably, panel HJ is secured at its sides to the side panels I3 and Iii. For example, the overlying panel i9 and the underlying panel II may be secured as by seams 2l and 22 to the side panels I3 and ill. The panels i'i and i9 like the panels i3 and lil, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, are made of one-way stretch material stretchable transversely. Hence, the suit iits the body snugly, i. e., is tight-fitting.

Two spaced breast-receiving pockets 23 and 2d are formed in the upper portion of the suit. As best shown in Figure 4, each of these pockets is constituted of a lower substantially diamondshaped panel 25 of one-way stretch material stretchable in a vertical direction and an upper laterally elongated panel 2d which in the preferred embodiment of the invention is made of a one-way stretch material stretchable in a lateral direction as indicated by the arrows on these panels. The breast-receiving pockets 23 and are secured to an intermediate connecting panel 2l of ane-way stretch material stretchable in a vertical direction, In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, panel 2 bridges the space between the two-breast-receiving pockets 23, 2d.

`The panels i5, 26 of each breast-receiving pocket and the intermediate panel 27 are seamed to the side panels i3 and ld and thus form the upper portion of the front of the suit. Panels 25 and 2&3 of each breast-receiving pocket are secured together by seam 28 along the sides 25a and 26e so that when the two panels are thus secured to each other they form a cup or pocket, as is evident from the drawing.

One lower inclined side of each of the panels 25 is sewn to the side panels I3 and I4 to form seams 29. The other lower inclined sides of the panels 25 are sewn to the connecting panel 21 forming downwardly diverging seams 3Q, 3l. These seams 30 and 3l are made with elastic thread r a Zig zag or other stitch, so that the seams are elastic and permit relative movement of the breast-receiving pockets 23, 24 relative to the intermediate connecting panel 21. The sides 32 and 33 of the lower portion of the pen'- tagonal panel 21 are secured by seams 34 and 35 to the side panels I3 and I4. The base 36 of the panel 21 is secured by seam 31 to the top `of underlying panel l1.

Each of the upper panels 26 of ,them-east.- receiving pockets 23, 24 is secured to c ne oi" the side panels I3 and I4 by a seam 38'.Y Elastic tapes 39, 40 stretchable in a transverse direction, as indicated by the arrows thereon, may be secured t0 iheide panels .and one inclined .Side .0f the upper panels 25. These tapes `are under tension so that the upper portion of the ysuit snugly engages `the `body .beneath the armpits. Straps 4I are suitablyvfastened, as at,42, to `the tops of the breastreceiying cups 23, 24.

Panel I9 is .provided with a top portion 4? of substantially the same shape vas panel l21 overlying this panel and having its apex :4,4 buttoned, as at 55, to the top of the bathing suit at (a vpoint at the front center neckline between the breastreceivingl pockets 23 24. The inclinedmside edges 46 and 41 vof portion 43 are loose, i. e., are not attached to the underlying panel 21. Furber, Dofion 43 iS dmnioxld .not t0 restrain vertical stretch of panel A21.

In the construction hereinabove described the breast-receiving pockets or cupsf23 and 24 snugly receive the breasts ,of the'nwearer and uplift and support them. As these .cups can ino've relative Yto the intermediate connecting panel 21 and they, as well as this connecting panel, can stretch in a vertical Vdirection the,cups2 3fa`nd 2`4 continue Ato uplift, cover and properly Support the bust while the wearer is swimming, bathing,

or otherwise stretching ,the body. The Vbody swimmingfelongates particularly `from the waist to the point where thebust'joins the midrii. In the suit of this invention panel 21 accommodates ,such elongation and does so without linterference with the functions'of the breast-receiving cups 23 and 24'.

It will be noted the panel I9 is `attached vto the suit only bythe `side seams 2| and 22 and by butH ton 45 at the front center neckline. Seams 2I and 22 terminate at points 48 and`49 leaving edges 46 and 41 of portion 43 loose. Thesel'ocse edges permit full utilization 'of the vertical stretch of panel 21 to accommodate elongation of the body in the midrifi and bust -portions thereof.

The construction of the bathing suit embodying this invention admirably lends itself to b eing made with breast-receiving cupsI in different sizes to accommodate different sizes ofv busts. Thus, by selecting vthe proper size,V the wearer will obtain a close and proper tting suit which will not only nt properly about the portion of the body below the waist but will also properly fit the bust portion of the body .and accommo- 4 date elongation of the body in the midrii and bust portions thereof.

Since certain changes may be made in the above described bathing suit and different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not'in a umitmg sense. ,Forlexampla instead of the pentagonal panel 21, the breast- receiving .cups 23 and 24 may abut and a panel disposed beneath these breast-receiving cups connecting themto or near the waistline portion of the suit, Qiyiiich pianelis made of a one-way stretch material stretchable vertically. Instead of having each breas'tLrecreiv-ing cup formed of panels 25 andg, each cup may be composed of a single panel of one-way stretch material stretchable in a verticaldirectiQn. Panel 4 3 may be Shaped otherwise',thanlaslshown, need" not have its vtop bvuttoned l s at 45, and if desired', maybe omitted entirely. f

What is claimedrisz ,1- A tieht'fttrig .bathing Suit ,Comprising a body portion formed oftwo `side panels of oneway ystretch material ,stretchable in a lateral ldirectionQaufi-ont panel eitending from the base of the bathing suit to the waistline and having its sides secured to said side panels, said iront panel -being `of one-way `stretcl'i material stretchable in a transverse direction, the upper portion of said suit containing @W0 bfela'stffeceivine pockets @eeh .formed of two panels, the lower panel of each pocket being formed of one-way stretch lmaterial'stretclfiable in a vertical direction and the upper ,panel Vof 'each pocket of oneway stretch material stretchable in a lateral -di- !nnan ilerda'e page1 Dldgillg the Space between said breast-receiving pockets, having the 1.19pm" .PP'Ol .thfQf Subslanlfauy tfangu' lar inshape andseou'red )by stwhable and @Qntractablefseams to thens'ides of the vsaid lower panels' and having the base thereof secured to the top of said .front panel, ,sla-id 4intermediate ranlfbeig Of .onfwaylsirich .material Stretchable in avertie-al di'rection, and a decorative panel of substantially'the same width as the front panelleictending from top to bottom of the bathing suit -and,overlying said Vfront and intermediate panels. 4

2. A bathing s uit as defined in claim l, in which the decorative panel is made of one-way stretch material stretchable in a vtransverse direction and is secured to the suit vonly at the sides thereof and'at -its top at the front center neckline of the suit leaving said intermediate panelfree to stretch in ave'rtcal direction without "restraint-by said decorative panel.

' INEZ BLOCK. @stateless Cited .in .thefle .0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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